WrestleMania IX could well be WWE's greatest ever victory for Vince McMahon's style-over-substance philosophy.
To those lapsed fans of a certain age, 'the world's biggest toga party' implanted itself in the mind palace and never left. This was pro wrestling to those smart enough to find something else to do until the Attitude Era. The blue-to-black sky across the course of the show adds the differing splashes of colour to WWE's most colourful production ever.
The wheels had come off in 1992, but McMahon worked to ensure nobody could possibly tell, even if the 'Grandest Stage' was erected in a car park. Costuming was consistent and complementary, the lighting rig, roof and pillars had never looked as resplendant, and the stage and set was unlike anything the organisation have tried before or since. With Old School Raws and retro SmackDowns already mined for nostalgic gain, a reimagined WrestleMania IX might be the perfect tonic for those same lapsed fans to relive.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
